Why Reading the Old Testament Bible Was So Hard

If you’re like me, you probably like to read a book from front to back. (And let’s be honest, sometimes I flip to the end just to see how it turns out when the middle gets a little slow!) That’s how I tried to read the Bible—start at the beginning and go straight through.

I’d make it through Genesis, maybe Exodus… but once I hit Numbers or Leviticus? I was out. It didn’t feel relevent, kind of boring, and I didn’t know how to make sense of it all.

I watched “Survey of the Bible” with Bruce Wilkinson through Teach Every Nation (Right Now Media) He broke it down in such a simple and helpful way, and I want to share a little of what I learned.  Right Now Media is an AMAZING app that I highly recommend.  You may have free access with your church!

https://app.rightnowmedia.org/en/content/details/336805

Books of the Bible  (A Fun Way to Remember)

This was such a cool little tip to help remember how many books are in each part of the Bible:

• The word “Old” has 3 letters

• The word “Testament” has 9 letters

• So: 3 and 9 = 39 books in the Old Testament

Then take  3 x 9 = 27 books in the New Testament

So, total = 66 books in the Bible

See? Easy to remember—and kinda fun!

The Old Testament Isn’t One Long Story

The Old Testament is made up of three different sections. Once I understood this, I stopped feeling like I had to read it in order—and it made way more sense.

🧱 Historical Books (17 books — Genesis to Esther)

These are the stories—creation, the flood, Abraham, Moses, battles, kings. Basically, how God worked through people to carry out His plan.

🎶 Poetical Books (5 books — Job to Song of Solomon)

These are the songs, prayers, and wisdom writings. Most were written by David and Solomon. If you’ve read Psalms, you know these can be real and raw—and sometimes just what you need to hear.  Proverbs is probably my favorite though with so much wisdom to be applied to your life.

📣 Prophetical Books (17 books — Isaiah to Malachi)

These are written by prophets—God’s messengers who were trying to help people turn back to Him. Some are hard to read, but they’re powerful.

10 Time Periods, 10 Big Themes

This part was my favorite. Bruce walked us through the whole Old Testament in 10 time periods—each tied to a key person and story. It helped me finally put the pieces together and an easy way to remember the Old Testament.

1. Primeval – Creation, Adam & Eve, the flood, and the nations

2. Patriarchal – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.  God creating his nation, Isreal.

3. Egypt – Joseph’s story (one of my favorites!), plus the famine, slavery, and Passover

4. Wilderness – Moses leading the people toward the promised land

5. Conquest – Joshua leading the people in to take the land

6. Judges – The time before kings, when God raised up leaders to guide the people

7. United Kingdom – The first kings: Saul, David, Solomon. The poetical books were written during this time.

8. Divided Kingdom – Solomon’s son Rehoboam takes over, things split, and most people turn away from God. This is where most of the prophet books fall.

9. Exile – Jerusalem falls, and the people are taken into exile. (Think: Daniel’s faithfulness in a foreign land.)

10. Return – God brings them back home. Nehemiah and Ezra lead the rebuilding.

The Bible isn’t meant to be read straight through like a novel, so it’s time to change how you approach it. Understanding the structure gave me freedom to explore it in a way that made sense to me—and helped me actually stick with it.

If you’ve been stuck or intimidated by the Bible, you’re not alone. But there are tools, teachings, and simple tricks (like these!) that can help you dig deeper without feeling overwhelmed.